Obama Commutes Bulk of Chelsea Manning’s Sentence

[Schifference]

Obama Commutes Bulk of Chelsea Manning’s Sentence
WASHINGTON — President Obama on Tuesday largely commuted the remaining prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, the army intelligence analyst convicted of an enormous 2010 leak that revealed American military and diplomatic activities across the world, disrupted the administration, and made WikiLeaks, the recipient of those disclosures, famous.

The decision by Mr. Obama rescued Ms. Manning, who twice tried to commit suicide last year, from an uncertain future as a transgender woman incarcerated at the male military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. She has been jailed for nearly seven years, and her 35-year sentence was by far the longest punishment ever imposed in the United States for a leak conviction.

Now, under the terms of Mr. Obama’s commutation announced by the White House on Tuesday, Ms. Manning is set to be freed on May 17 of this year, rather than in 2045.

The commutation also relieved the Department of Defense of the difficult responsibility of her incarceration as she pushes for treatment for her gender dysphoria — including sex reassignment surgery — that the military has no experience providing.

Continue reading the main story
RELATED COVERAGE


Chelsea Manning Describes Bleak Life in a Men’s Prison JAN. 13, 2017

Chelsea Manning Tried Committing Suicide a Second Time in October NOV. 4, 2016

Chelsea Manning Asks Obama to Cut Sentence to Time Served NOV. 13, 2016

Manning Sentenced to 35 Years for a Pivotal Leak of U.S. Files AUG. 21, 2013
In recent days, the White House had signaled that Mr. Obama was seriously considering granting Ms. Manning’s commutation application, in contrast to a pardon application submitted on behalf of the other large-scale leaker of the era, Edward J. Snowden, the former intelligence contractor who disclosed archives of top secret surveillance files and is living as a fugitive in Russia.

Asked about the two clemency applications on Friday, the White House spokesman, Joshua Earnest, discussed the “pretty stark difference” between Ms. Manning’s case for mercy with Mr. Snowden’s. While their offenses were similar, he said, there were “some important differences.”

“Chelsea Manning is somebody who went through the military criminal justice process, was exposed to due process, was found guilty, was sentenced for her crimes, and she acknowledged wrongdoing,” he said. “Mr. Snowden fled into the arms of an adversary, and has sought refuge in a country that most recently made a concerted effort to undermine confidence in our democracy.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/17/us/politics/obama-commutes-bulk-of-chelsea-mannings-sentence.html?_r=0

[jllundqu]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/17/us/politics/obama-commutes-bulk-of-chelsea-mannings-sentence.html?_r=0

Whoa.

[JK/SEA]

good.

[jllundqu]

The 35 years sentence ends May 17 of this year. Gonna be some fallout and headlines on this one...

[jllundqu]

good.

I agree this is a good thing

[fisharmor]

I want to see the document he signed.
If it said "Chelsea Manning" anywhere, I'm betting he's going to rot in prison.

[AngryCanadian]

Obama nearly started a war with Russia yeah i dont trust Obama admin with this.

[staerker]

Related:

Assange: I’ll Agree to Extradition if Manning Freed (1/13/17)

http://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2017-01-13/chelsea-manning-pardon-would-get-me-to-surrender-julian-assange-says

[Schifference]

Assange headed to US.

[FyreLyon]

Related:

Assange: I’ll Agree to Extradition if Manning Freed (1/13/17)

http://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2017-01-13/chelsea-manning-pardon-would-get-me-to-surrender-julian-assange-says

I hope he doesn't. He'd never get a fair trial. If convicted Assange would get extradited to Sweden and get convicted of their phony charges.

[jonhowe]

I hope he doesn't. He'd never get a fair trial. If convicted Assange would get extradited to Sweden and get convicted of their phony charges.

Is he charged with anything here?

[PierzStyx]

Obama is a coward. If he had any balls Manning would never have spent a day in prison. This is just partisan posturing, nothing more.

[Suzanimal]

“pretty stark difference” between Ms. Manning’s case for mercy with Mr. Snowden’s. While their offenses were similar, he said, there were “some important differences.”

“Chelsea Manning is somebody who went through the military criminal justice process, was exposed to due process, was found guilty, was sentenced for her crimes, and she acknowledged wrongdoing,” he said. “Mr. Snowden fled into the arms of an adversary, and has sought refuge in a country that most recently made a concerted effort to undermine confidence in our democracy.”

:rolleyes:

If Manning had to do it over again, I bet he would run. I know I would.

[Brian4Liberty]

From one of the neoconservative shills who lied us into war in Iraq. Shameless.

821478106145976321
https://twitter.com/JMfreespeech/status/821478106145976321

[staerker]

I hope he doesn't. He'd never get a fair trial. If convicted Assange would get extradited to Sweden and get convicted of their phony charges.

Me neither, this was not a pardon.

[specsaregood]

Time for snowden to announce that he is secretly a tranny and hope for the same treatment.

[Brian4Liberty]

Teocons like Mark Levin are losing their shit over this.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqB4DvcVKHI

Senator Cotton not as concerned about pardon of General James Cartwright (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?506354-Obama-pardon-watch&p=6399639&viewfull=1#post6399639), who lied to the FBI about leaking classified info to reporters.

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?506354-Obama-pardon-watch&p=6399639&viewfull=1#post6399639


Cotton Statement on the Commutation of Chelsea Manning’s Prison Sentence
January 17, 2017

Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353

Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement following reports that President Obama commuted Chelsea Manning's sentence:

"When I was leading soldiers in Afghanistan, Private Manning was undermining us by leaking hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks. I don't understand why the president would feel special compassion for someone who endangered the lives of our troops, diplomats, intelligence officers, and allies. We ought not treat a traitor like a martyr."

[Dr.3D]

Me neither, this was not a pardon.
Yeah, more like a prisoner exchange.

[Peace&Freedom]

3 thoughts:

1) Fantastic news! Now we just need Snowden, Assange, Peltier and Mamal pardoned, to wipe the slate clean as Obarry vamooses.

2) Manning was, is and remains male, no matter how many times the NYT wants to impose his self-identification upon the rest of us.

3) Was Manning's sentence commuted just to please the LGBT-A-Z crowd, and to get Assange to go along with extradition? And is it possible for Trump to trump Obarry, by issuing first week pardons to Assange and Snowden?

[enhanced_deficit]

Let's hope it will put a dent given this legacy.


Obama’s Legacy: A Historic War On Whistleblowers

As for Obama’s record, here’s what history will show: In his eight years in office, the Obama Justice Department spearheaded eight Espionage Act prosecutions, more than all US administrations combined. Journalists were also caught in the crosshairs: Investigators sought phone records for Associated Press journalists, threatened to jail an investigative reporter for The New York Times, and named a Fox News reporter a co-conspirator in a leak case. In Texas, a journalist investigating private defense contractors (https://www.longislandpress.com/2014/04/04/barrett-brown-american-journalist-whistleblower-prisoner/) became the focus of a federal prosecution and was initially charged for sharing a hyperlink containing hacked information that had already been made public.

Those Espionage Act cases included the trial of Chelsea Manning, who was held in solitary confinement for nearly one year prior to her military trial, prompting a condemnation from the UN special rapporteur on torture.
“The absolute twisted passion with which the administration under Obama’s leadership has pursued whistleblowers is just appalling,” says Norman Solomon, executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy and co-founder of RootsAction.org. “And as far as I can tell, the administration is unrepentant in that process. There’s just no other administration that comes close.”

https://www.longislandpress.com/2017/01/14/obamas-legacy-historic-war-on-whistleblowers/






...

3) Was Manning's sentence commuted just to please the LGBT-A-Z crowd, and to get Assange to go along with extradition? And is it possible for Trump to trump Obarry, by issuing first week pardons to Assange and Snowden?

Interesting question, unlikely but Assange may have a slight better chance relatively.

[Matt Collins]

Bradley Manning

[staerker]

It looks like Assange will be extradited, and expects to be tried.

https://twitter.com/wikileaks

https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/821475035441401856

821475035441401856

https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/821505178549493760

821505178549493760

https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/821522334007836672

821522334007836672

https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/821528189625372672

821528189625372672

https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/821529956530487296

821529956530487296

[ChristianAnarchist]

That's good news. Now if Assange is to give himself up he'd better wait until after Manning is freed or they might just wind up cell mates...

[UWDude]

good.

Headline should be "Obama stop torturing whistleblower, promises freedom once he is out of office"

Obama could have stepped in anytime.

[timosman]

Headline should be "Obama stop torturing whistleblower, promises freedom once he is out of office"

Obama could have stepped in anytime.

It was on his "shit I have to do before leaving office" list but he was too distracted to do anything about it. Next item on the list - Gitmo.

[enhanced_deficit]

Headline should be "Obama stop torturing whistleblower, promises freedom once he is out of office"

Obama could have stepped in anytime.

That would have been too non-cowardly, puppets don't play that game.
He's probably thinking he can afford to offend upper management when he has only couple of days left on the job.


That's good news. Now if Assange is to give himself up he'd better wait until after Manning is freed or he they might just wind up cell mates...

How cynical , have some faith, this is the word of one of the most honest leaders in US history.



Time for snowden to announce that he is secretly a tranny and hope for the same treatment.

While true that Obama and his first lady are big on gender freedom rights but this post sounds bit controversial.

[Matt Collins]

https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/821529956530487296

821529956530487296
Hmmm.... if the US government classifies him as a terrorist, does that then prohibit anyone from donating to his legal defense fund?

[kpitcher]

Hmmm.... if the US government classifies him as a terrorist, does that then prohibit anyone from donating to his legal defense fund?
Could always use bitcoin, with some effort it can be anonymous.

[Anti Federalist]

Good. Done for the wrong reasons I'm sure, but still, good.

[spudea]

What do you think was the most significant revelation from the Manning leaks? I only remember the video of killing the two Reuters reporters and that was covered up.

[Matt Collins]

Could always use bitcoin, with some effort it can be anonymous.
Yes, and it can still be seized, even from someone who is anonymous.

[goldenequity]

5 minHá 5 minutos
VP-ELECT PENCE SAYS COMMUTING MANNING SENTENCE A `MISTAKE': FOX

[ChristianAnarchist]

5 minHá 5 minutos
VP-ELECT PENCE SAYS COMMUTING MANNING SENTENCE A `MISTAKE': FOX

I wonder if Trump will reverse the commutation. I wonder if that's within his power??

[Brian4Liberty]

Glenn Greenwald Talking Chelsea Manning on Anderson Cooper's Show


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90fEH0iJ8PA

Counters a lot of propaganda, such as that "people died" because of Manning leak.

[CPUd]

released today.


864840675220754436
https://twitter.com/xychelsea/status/864840675220754436

[AZJoe]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvtYifpTuK0

[ChristianAnarchist]

Glad Manning is out. Can't wait to read what she has to say...

[Danke]

Glad Manning is out. Can't wait to read what she has to say...

Maybe she'll pose in body paint for you.

[oyarde]

One of you lucky fellows may be able to get a date now .

[Occam's Banana]

Obama is a coward. If he had any balls Manning would never have spent a day in prison.

Obama had the balls to commute Manning's sentence - and although I'd have preferred a full pardon (or better yet, no conviction at all), the simple fact is that Obama did not have to do even that much.

I'm more than happy to piss on Obama for many things.

But not for this.


This is just partisan posturing, [...]

If so, then we could do with a hell of a lot more of such "partisan posturing."


[...] nothing more.

I rather suspect that Manning would beg to differ ...

[Origanalist]

Maybe she'll pose in body paint for you.

https://cdn.meme.am/cache/instances/folder378/68276378.jpg

[Ender]

Obama had the balls to commute Manning's sentence - and although I'd have preferred a full pardon (or better yet, no conviction at all), the simple fact is that Obama did not have to do even that much.

I'm more than happy to piss on Obama for many things.

But not for this.



If so, then we could do with a hell of a lot more of such "partisan posturing."



I rather suspect that Manning would beg to differ ...

Agree on all points.

[PierzStyx]

Obama had the balls to commute Manning's sentence - and although I'd have preferred a full pardon (or better yet, no conviction at all), the simple fact is that Obama did not have to do even that much.

I'm more than happy to piss on Obama for many things.

But not for this.



If so, then we could do with a hell of a lot more of such "partisan posturing."



I rather suspect that Manning would beg to differ ...



No, he did have to. But being the guy who is supposed to be a darling of the LGBTQ crowd, or at least seen as such by the Democratic Left, and also being the guy who didn't help the highest profile transsexual in prison, who is being abused and beaten for being such, means throwing the LGBTQ crowd a bone once in a while.

If Obama had balls then he would've pardoned Manning completely as soon as the verdict came down. Waiting to do it the last minute stinks of either political opportunism or fear. I'm glad Manning is benefiting from it, but I'm not about the give Obama any accolades for it.

[Origanalist]

Glad Manning is out. Can't wait to read what she has to say...

He.

[Zippyjuan]

Remember what Assange said?

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--y27CYNXn--/c_scale,f_auto,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/lqwauhzynkemzyilwdil.jpg

http://www.americasfreedomfighters.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/16076.jpg

[merkelstan]

Do you call a biological male who pretends to be a girl, "she"? I don't.

[Occam's Banana]

No, he did have to. But being the guy who is supposed to be a darling of the LGBTQ crowd, or at least seen as such by the Democratic Left, and also being the guy who didn't help the highest profile transsexual in prison, who is being abused and beaten for being such, means throwing the LGBTQ crowd a bone once in a while.

No, he did not have to. He could easily have left Manning to rot.

And as for the LGBCDEFWHATEVER crowd: had they been given an either-or, "one but not the other" choice between the "bone" of seeing Manning set free or the "bone" of seeing the White House lit up in rainbow colors (to much ooohing and aaahing from an adoring media), I would not be at all surprised if many/most of them would have preferred the latter. Had Obama not released Manning, that fact would simply have afforded the LGBWHATEVERs the continuing opportunity to "make hay" against Trump (or whatever other politically convenient target) for not doing so.

IOW: Obama's "legacy" in the eyes of that bunch is not in any danger for him to fear, regardless of whether he had done anything at all about Manning.


If Obama had balls then he would've pardoned Manning completely as soon as the verdict came down. Waiting to do it the last minute stinks of either political opportunism or fear. I'm glad Manning is benefiting from it, but I'm not about the give Obama any accolades for it.

I haven't given Obama any accolades. I'm just not shitting on him for doing this, whatever his motives.

On my scales, the release of an exposer of perfidious malfeasances from the unjust doom of spending a lifetime in a brutal cage weighs far, far more in the balance than whatever transient "political opportunism" might have been involved in such a release.

[merkelstan]

Some people are too blinded by the Democrat vs Repub football game to credit anything good to a member of the other team.

[tod evans]

I've got no love for h o m o 's or Obama but Bradley Manning deserves to be free and compensated for his bravery standing up to DC...

If he chooses to take his compensation in a pair of tits and a name change that's his prerogative...

[AZJoe]

Some people are too blinded by the Democrat vs Repub football game to credit anything good to a member of the other team.

It is a positive that Manning is released, but do not forget that it was under Obama's leadership and war against whistle-blowers that Manning was put in prison to begin with and sentenced to 35 years, placed in prolonged solitary confinement; and aside from the isolation, subjected to ridiculous sustained petty and abusive vindictive treatment such as to remain naked in the cell for extended periods, or to stand naked outside the cell for inspections, forbidden from growing hair, and worse.

So while it is always positive when a heinous perpetrator finally releases his victim after seven years of abuse, it does not negate Obama's wickedness for targeting whistle-blowers and imprisoning Manning in the first place. One does not praise a perpetrator for ending their assault on a victim. Does one cheer a corrupt cop because he finally stops swinging the baton on a helpless victim? Does one praise a kidnapper because they release the victim after several years of abuse? Does one commend an arsonist because they throw water on the house they set ablaze?

[Zippyjuan]

I've got no love for h o m o 's or Obama but Brian Manning deserves to be free and compensated for his bravery standing up to DC...

If he chooses to take his compensation in a pair of tits and a name change that's his prerogative...

Brian being Bradley's father? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/wikileaks/interviews/brian-manning.html

[Occam's Banana]

It is a positive that Obama commuted his sentence, but do not forget that it was under Obama's leadership and war against whistle-blowers that Manning was put in prison to begin with and sentenced to 35 years, placed in prolonged solitary confinement; and aside from the isolation, subjected to ridiculous sustained petty and abusive vindictive treatment such as to remain naked in the cell for extended periods, or to stand naked outside the cell for inspections, forbidden from growing hair, and worse.

So while it is always positive when a heinous perpetrator finally releases his victim after seven years of abuse, it does not negate Obama's wickedness for targeting whistle-blowers and imprisoning Manning in the first place.

All this is true.

But there is no reason to think that any of those things would not have happened under Trump or Bush - except for the commutation of Manning's sentence. There does not appear to be any reason to think that Trump or Bush would ever have done such a thing.

There are myriad causes for which to denounce Obama (including the imprisonment and subsequent treatment of Manning in the first place) - but whatever his motives, and however "opportunistic" those motives might have been, the release of Manning is not among them.

[AZJoe]

But there is no reason to think that any of those things would not have happened under Trump or Bush ...

OMG that is horrible reasoning. That is the most absurd fallacy. That is no reason to glorify Obama and whitewash him for all his evil misdeeds, his war on whistle blowers and imprisonment of Manning. That is like cheering a kidnapper who releases his victim after 7 years of abuse, because maybe some other kidnapper would not have. Trump or Bush is the wrong measuring stick. By that red team/blue team standard You can whitewash all of Bush's evils by comparing him to Obama and vice versa. By that standard nobody is ever responsible for their own misdeeds. Everybody gets a free pass. Try instead a more objective standard like doing the right thing. Obama is responsible for his own evils. He is responsible for his war on whistle-blowers, and his imprisonment of Manning, and all his other evils, regardless of what anyone else might have done. He does not give a free pass for what he did to Manning and his war on whistle-blowers because one may speculate Bush might have done the same thing. Likewise Bush does not get a free pass on Iraq or anything else because of Obama's warmongering.

[Occam's Banana]

OMG that is horrible reasoning. That is the most absurd fallacy. That is no reason to glorify Obama and whitewash him for all his evil misdeeds [snip remaining hysterics]

:confused::confused::confused:

What parts of "all this is true" (the very first sentence in my reply to your previous post) and "There are myriad causes for which to denounce Obama (including the imprisonment and subsequent treatment of Manning in the first place)" were you not able to understand?

I did not in any way "glorify Obama and whitewash him for all his evil misdeeds."

I defy you to indentify so much as a single instance in which I have done so.

I have not given Obama any kind of "pass" for his evil deeds.

But I am not going to shit on him for deeds that are not evil (such as letting Manning out of prison).

If you really don't understand the difference, then I don't know what to tell you.

Suppose I had replied to your previous post in the same manner in which you replied to mine - like so:


It is a positive that Obama commuted his sentence, but do not forget [bad stuff about Obama]

OMG that is horrible reasoning. That is the most absurd fallacy. [Other stuff about how AZJoe is somehow glorifying Obama and whitewashing all his evil misdeeeds.]

Do you see how fatuous it would have been if I had replied to you like this? So why are you doing it to me?

:confused::confused::confused:

[tod evans]

Brian being Bradley's father? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/wikileaks/interviews/brian-manning.html

Edited

[AZJoe]

I defy you to indentify so much as a single instance in which I have done so.
I have not given Obama any kind of "pass" for his evil deeds.


But there is no reason to think that any of those things would not have happened under Trump or Bush.

Come now Occam. That is disingenuous. When it is pointed out that Obama made war on whistle-blowers, and targeted Manning, and imprisoned him for seven plus years, and subjected to petty abuse under his leadership, your response is to draw an irreverent hypothetical speculative comparison that "But there is no reason to think that any of those things would not have happened under Trump or Bush." To out of the blue bring up speculative hypothetical comparisons to say "yeah well these guys would have been bad too." As if that makes any difference to Obama's evils whatsoever. The only purpose of drawing such speculative hypothetical comparisons serve is a fallacious attempt to minimize, downplay, and sugar coat Obama's evil deeds - whitewash by hypothetical comparison. That is completely irreverent to Obama's deeds. No matter how bad anyone else might have been, it has absolutely no bearing or relevance whatsoever to Obama's culpability for his own misdeeds. It is a sophomoric fallacy to point and say "yeah Obama did bad, but hey others would have been bad too."

[TheCount]

http://a.abcnews.com/images/Politics/HT-chelesa-manning-051817_v12x5_31x13_1600.jpg


Hope this isn't too much sideboob to show on here....

[Occam's Banana]

Come now Occam. That is disingenuous. When it is pointed out that Obama made war on whistle-blowers, and targeted Manning, and imprisoned him for seven plus years, and subjected to petty abuse under his leadership, your response is to draw an irreverent hypothetical speculative comparison that "But there is no reason to think that any of those things would not have happened under Trump or Bush." To out of the blue bring up speculative hypothetical comparisons to say "yeah well these guys would have been bad too." As if that makes any difference to Obama's evils whatsoever. The only purpose of drawing such speculative hypothetical comparisons serve is a fallacious attempt to minimize, downplay, and sugar coat Obama's evil deeds - whitewash by hypothetical comparison. That is completely irreverent to Obama's deeds. No matter how bad anyone else might have been, it has absolutely no bearing or relevance whatsoever to Obama's culpability for his own misdeeds. It is a sophomoric fallacy to point and say "yeah Obama did bad, but hey others would have been bad too."

I stand by every word I have said - including my remark regarding Trump & Bush (both of whom I mentioned only because they are the ones who happen to have "bookended" Obama, thus providing points of contrast vis-à-vis the commutation of Manning's sentence). I will gladly leave it to those readers who don't have a bug up their asses to judge whether I have "glorified Obama" or "whitewashed all his evil misdeeds."

However, I am not going to waste time discussing the matter further with someone who bizarrely insists on trying to reify what I have clearly and simply stated into an elaborate rhetorical strawman, apparently for no reason other than to condescendingly sneer at me for being "disingenuous" and "sophomoric." IOW: Go malign someone else with your casuistries. I'm done here.